


the right moment

by SirenDreams



Series: adventures in love [1]
Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: 5 + 1 times, 5 Times, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Post-Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Post-Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Epilogue, Romance, Romantic Gestures, Sexual Content, Smut, Unprotected Sex, attempted marriage proposal(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:47:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24987037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirenDreams/pseuds/SirenDreams
Summary: When Sam pays a visit to Nathan and his family, he brings along an item he's had for years and asks his little brother for some advice. He wants to propose to his long-time girlfriend, Evie, but doesn't know when the right time to do so is. Nathan's advice? When the time is right, you'll know. Sam's not sure how to take the advice and, when Evie pays a surprise visit, he decides what better time than now? What follows is a succession of failed proposals before he finally discovers that the right moment is sometimes when you least expect it to be. [Or rather; a 5 + 1 fic detailing the five times Samuel Drake tried to propose to Evie and the one time he finally did.][Samuel Drake/Original Female Character; Post-Uncharted 4: A Thief's End]
Relationships: Samuel Drake/Original Female Character(s)
Series: adventures in love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808719
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	the right moment

It’s a little before noon on a sunny, perfect day when Sam and Nathan Drake steer the boat back to the dock on the Fisher-Drake property. They’d taken the boat at Elena’s urging for an early morning run and had spent most of their time on the water reminiscing about their lives and just how far they’d come over the years. 

“I still can hardly believe it.” Sam says, as the Nate docks the boat and the two of them disembark. “You happily married, living your life to the fullest with your wife and daughter… How did I become an uncle before you anyways?”

“It’s usually the other way around isn’t it?” Nate answers with a laugh, turning to gaze back at his home with a fond smile. “Man, it wasn’t easy to get this far… But I think back on it and can’t help but feel that everything that happened to get to this was worth it. Some things could’ve gone better, though. Preferably not thinking you were dead for a while would be one of those things.”

“Yeah, well if we had to do again I’d rather not be stuck in jail— Panamanian jail— for a couple years. If it weren’t for you and our thrilling adventure, I’m not sure I would’ve ever met Evie.”

“Couple things have to go wrong before they can go right.”

“Sure seems like it.” Sam laughs as he follows Nate down the dock and halts, stopping his brother just a few feet shy of solid ground. “Hey, Nathan, speaking of Evie and our adventures— I wondered if I could ask you a question real quick.”

“Sure, what is it?”

“When you uh…” Sam glances around as if checking to see if anyone was in earshot and lowers his voice before he continues. “When you proposed to Elena, how did you know it was the right time?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you mean, ‘what do I mean’? You wanted it to be a romantic thing, right? Like a… a good memory. Perfect, right? How did you know that it was the time to ask?”

“I just knew. I don’t know how else to explain it, Sam.” He grins at his brother, playfully elbowing him in the ribs. “Finally gonna settle down after all this time? Sure took you long enough.”

“Oh, shut it.” Sam grumbles, elbowing him back. “So you say, you just… knew. That worked all well and good for you, but how will I know when it’s the right moment?”

Nate shakes his head, “I can’t give you the answer, Sam. All I can say is that when the moment’s right, you’ll know.” With that bit of helpful— or unhelpful, if you were to ask Sam— advice Nate departs, patting Sam on the shoulder as he leaves the dock and strides up the beach to the house.

Sam stands on the dock overlooking the ocean for a few moments after Nate retreats, his brother’s words weighing heavily on his mind. “You’ll know.” He muses aloud, walking off the dock and onto the expanse of white sand beach the Fisher-Drake house resides on. “And just how do you know, Nathan?” He sighs and stares out at the ocean once more as if the rolling waves will hold the answer to his woes— until a woman’s voice breaks his train of thought. 

“Well, _hello_ handsome.”

“I appreciate the the observation, but I’m afraid you’re wasting your time.” Sam laughs good-naturedly, waving a hand to ward off the compliment as he turns to face the woman who spoke to him. “I must inform you I’m a taken⏤” His mind goes blank as he sights her and walks, at first slowly, then rapidly towards her before he scoops her up in his arms and spins her around.

“Can’t believe I actually managed to surprise you for once.” She says, her arms around his neck and her legs firmly around his waist as he buries his face in the crook of her neck and she strokes his hair. “I missed you.”

“Ah, jesus, Evie.” His voice is muffled, and her laugh is music to his ears. “I thought you were stuck in Glasgow?” He lifts his head to look at her and eyes her smug smile with caution. “Evie.”

“I _was_ stuck in Glasgow but Alessandra pulled some strings and gave me her ticket so I could surprise you. Hell, she surprised me too. She was so excited to finally meet everyone⏤ I still can’t believe she gave up her ticket.”

“The same Alessandra that's madly in love with Victor?”

“That’s the one. She’s still coming⏤ hoping to relax and maybe get an interview with Nate and Elena if they’re so inclined as to indulge her⏤ but she won’t be here until next week.” Evie leans back in his arms slightly and raises an eyebrow. “For shame, Sam, you’re not going to ask me how long I’m here for?”

“Well, now that you’ve said it, how long do I get my beautiful girlfriend all to myself?”

“You do realize you have to share me with your sister-in-law?” She laughs, amused at his slightly wounded expression. “I want her advice on some of the extra photos I got from my last project.”

“Eh, so Elena gets to borrow you for a bit. Still all to myself, more or less.” He shrugs, “So exactly how long are you here for?’

“Same amount of time as you.”

“I get you for the whole month? Really?” He gives another quick spin causing her to burst into laughter again and cling tighter. “For real?”

“I got paid well enough from the last job that I can more than afford to take a vacation. So I’m yours for as long as you’ll have me.” The last part is spoken softly and Evie gives a delighted squeal when Sam smacks her ass, “Samuel!”

“Best plan to stick around for quite a while then.” He says cheekily and kisses her⏤ full of love, passion, and the promise of what’s in store later on. It would be a blissful moment… if it weren’t for Nathan interrupting.

“Hey, keep it PG you two! Child on the beach!” Nathan yells faintly from further down the stretch of sandy terrain, Cassie’s laughter carrying down to them on the wind.

Sam ignores his younger brother’s words for a moment longer, slipping his hand beneath the back of Evie’s tank top and grinning into the kiss at the shiver his actions elicit. He breaks the kiss with another smile, retracting his hand from her shirt, and gently drops Evie back onto the sand.

“Resume our reunion later?”

“Later.” Evie agrees with a smile, taking Sam’s hand as they walk over to greet his family.

* * *

The two of them spend most of the day and night with Nathan, Elena, and Cassie. What was initially intended as a brief family gathering, quickly turning into time getting away from them. Evie shares the not so fun elements of trying to fix her canceled flight situation— something she’d never have been able to remedy were it not for Alessandra and Elena’s help. Elena’s involvement earns a shocked response from both her brother-in-law, which she more or less expected, and her daughter which came as quite a surprise.

“I can’t believe you kept Aunt Evie’s visit a secret!”

“You can believe I kept it a secret? You should be more shocked that your dad managed to keep quiet about it. He’s got a big mouth.”

“You knew? Nathan!” 

“Hey, hey!” Nate yells, ducking to avoid the throw pillow that flies his way after Sam’s words. “I was sworn to secrecy! My wife is a very convincing woman.” He lobs a pillow back, but misses his mark and hits Elena instead who jokingly declares ‘war’ and a massive pillow fight breaks out. The chaos carries on for some time and is, unfortunately, not limited to their living room and by the time everyone tires themselves out, the house is in complete disarray.

“Oh, we really made a mess. I don’t even know where half of these belong. Is that a couch co—“ She breaks off in another laugh as Sam whacks her backside with a throw pillow, which he then promptly tosses back onto the chair he thinks it belongs to. “Didn’t get me enough times during the pillow war?”

“Mhm, there’s not enough time in the world for it to have been enough.” 

“Yeah, well remember that for later because I—“ She smiles and ducks away from his reaching hands, darting out the open doorway as he follows suit. “Need to go get changed before dinner, and you can help tidy up the mess we made while I do.”

“Not even a kiss before you go?”

“One kiss.” She relents, letting him wraps his arms around her and rising onto her tiptoes for a kiss. Sam grins and dips her, giving her second, and then a third, much longer kiss. “I said one! You are insatiable.” She breaks away from his grasp, wagging a finger at him with a laugh. “Seriously, I need to go change. Please help tidy up for me?”

“Whatever you want, doll.”

He smiles fondly as Evie turns and disappears down the hall, the sound of the front door swinging open and shut telling him that she’d finally gone to change and that their current fun was done for the time being. He chuckles to himself as he gathers up the cushions and pillows strewn across the floor and sets about trying to put things back to the way they were.

“Uncle Sam?”

“Hey, Cassie. How’s my favorite niece?”

“I’m your _only_ niece, Uncle Sam.” She rolls her yes, then breaks into a smile when Sam makes a face and points at the large cushion held in his hands. “That goes on the big chair at the dining table. Also, dad says to tell you dinner’s ready.” A pause before she adds, “Aunt Evie must really love you, since she came all this way to see you. I’m glad she makes you happy. Mom and Dad are too.”

* * *

Later in the evening, when the remnants of dinner have been cleared away and even later still, after an admittedly decent movie, Sam finally steals Evie away from his family under the guise of finally calling it a night. The two get as far as Elena’s studio before things change course and Sam suggests going for a walk along the beach instead.

“It’s a nice night,” He says, waving a hand at the moon and expanse of stars glowing brightly overhead. “what do you think?”

“I think a moonlit walk sounds very romantic.” She steps close as he drapes an arm across her shoulders and the two of them begin their slow stroll across the beach. “Careful,” she teases, “if your brother sees he’ll know you’re actually a big softie on the inside.”

“Eh, Nathan can think what he wants. So long as you’re happy with me secretly being a big ‘softie’, that’s all that matters.”

“So long as you’re happy, I’m happy. Looks like we have some company.” She adds, stepping out of his embrace to greet Victoria— who’s abandoned sleeping on the guest house deck in favor of coming to see them. 

“Evie, love. There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while now.” Sam says, slowing his steps as Evie starts to trail ahead— laughing softly as Victoria bounds around the edge of the water. He sinks to one knee in the sand, one hand reaching for his pocket as he calls her name. “Evie⏤” His words cut off in a loud ‘oof’ as he’s tackled backwards into the sand, forty pounds of fluffy golden retriever parked atop him.

“Victoria!” Evie half-laughs, half-scolds as the dog wags her tail and sticks her nose against Sam’s shirt in hopes of a treat. “Get off of Sam, girl. Come on!” Evie wave a hand and jogs a few steps away, patting her leg as Victoria bounds away from— and off of— Sam. “I bet there’s yummy treats in the house, hm?” She says, crouching down to ruffle Victoria’s fur with a smile. “Cassie knows where they’re at doesn’t she? You better go get her!”

As Victoria runs off in the direction of the house, Sam— still sprawled on his back in the sand— utters a heavy sigh and closes his eyes. He can hear the soft crunch of sand underfoot as Evie walks back to him and he opens an eye to catch sight of the hem of her dress swaying the breeze.

“What were you saying, Sam?”

“Oh nothing important, really.” He waves her away as she offers a hand to help, sitting up and brushing grains of sand from his arms and shirt all while Victoria— who had apparently changed her mind about treats in favor of keeping the two of them company— plops down on the sand and wags her tail. He reaches out and gives the dog a pat on the head before she runs off— finally called back to the house by Nathan, who was waving from the front porch. “Hey, why don’t we go to dinner tomorrow night? Just the two of us?”

Evie studies him with a quizzical expression, one eyebrow raised as she waves a hand towards the beach house. “Don’t you want to spend time with your family? I thought Elena had an evening planned?”

Sam shrugs and stands, patting his pockets for his cigarettes and lighter— before remembering he quit smoking years ago— as he stalls. “I mean, of course I want to spend time with my family. I just thought maybe we could use some alone time. I’ll talk to Elena in the morning.” He gives up the misguided search and wraps an arm around Evie as they begin the trek down the beach to the guest house. “If she has something planned, we’ll do dinner— just us— another time. I’ve got you for a whole month, maybe longer. What’s the rush.”

* * *

True to Evie’s question, Sam finds that Elena does, in fact, have an evening planned the next day. As well as the next couple days, and he’d be lying if he were to say he didn’t find it a little discouraging for his plans. A few nights later, however, Sam is finally able to take Evie out on the town for a night. He books a reservation at a nice restaurant he was recommended by Nathan and promises a lovely, much needed— in his mind— night away from family. The settle into a cozy candle-lit booth upon arrival at the restaurant— named Arturo’s— and have a peaceful, romantic evening. A night that should, theoretically, check all the boxes for an absolutely perfect proposal. When the waiter offers a cocktail menu post-meal, the two of the them deliberate for a moment before deciding that a drink or two couldn’t hurt anything.

As it turns out about an hour or two later… drinks were actually a bad idea. 

“Wow, what was in that?” Evie giggles, clinging to Sam for support as they both stumble up the stairs of the guest house. “I need to know what brand of tequila that was. I’ve never had a drink that strong before. I didn’t even have that many!”

The both of them manage to stumble inside without doing any damage, and upon making it to the hall, Sam leaves her side briefly— entering the bedroom and earning himself enough time to stash the ring box back in the bedside drawer before turning to find Evie clinging to the doorframe with a stricken expression.

“Evie, doll, what’s the matter?” He tries to keep the panic in his voice low, but between fearing she’d seen the box and the expression on her face the emotion was more than a little difficult to keep under control.

“Room’s spinning.” She murmurs, mercifully still keeping ahold of the door frame as she sways and slowly slides down towards the wooden floor. “Oh, I don’t like this ride.”

Sam crosses the room as quickly as he can without losing his own sense of balance and gently grabs her in a bridal carry, standing with her held tightly in his arms before walking slowly to the opposite side of the room— both for Evie’s benefit and to try and alleviate the onset of his pounding headache. What brand of alcohol indeed. He sets her down on the bed, then grabs her again when she sways violently; catching her before she can hit the floor. “You know what? Good idea, the floor is good for tonight.” He grabs the spare blanket from the end of the bed and lays it out before throwing down two pillows and grabbing the duvet. “We’ll just lay right here,” He lays down next to Evie, taking her hand as she rests it against his chest. “and we’ll be good as new come morning.”

“Mhm.” She murmurs incoherently, snuggling as close to him as she can possibly get without being on top of him. “Sam?”

“Are you going to be sick?” He asks, wearily. “Because I love you with all my heart, I really do, but I don’t think I can—“

“I’m glad you talked to me that day in Madrid.”

“Oh,” Sam murmurs, taken by surprise. “well I’m glad I talked to you that day too, doll. Who knew that asking a very pretty woman to do a little recon for me would lead to ten long years of a relationship.” He raises their entwined hands and presses a soft kiss to her fingers. “I can’t think of a single thing I’d change about our meeting. Well, except the part about being shot at and maybe the bit about your camera getting destroyed… and not being entirely truthful about why I wanted pictures of that one specific portion of the ruin.” He laughs quietly, “I consider myself a very lucky man that you didn’t seem to hold that against me when we met again.”

His remark is met with silence and Sam turns his head to find Evie fast asleep, her face upturned towards his own. The sight brings a smile to his face and he holds her hand a little tighter as his own eyes slowly drift closed— following her into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

Much as was the case with the romantic dinner, it’s almost a week before Sam has the opportunity to steal Evie away again. It takes a lot of promising to spend time doing various activities with everyone over the next few days before he can finally convince Nathan to agree to another night without the two of them. In the end, Sam gets his wish of another romantic evening with Evie. He rents a car from town and sends Evie a simple text that tells her to be ready at six and to wear something comfortable. She exits the guest house five minutes prior and is pleased to see the sly smile on Sam’s face fall— replaced instead by an openmouthed stare as she walks towards the car he’s leaning against. 

“Well?” She asks, twirling around so the hem of her dress flares around her legs. “Think this is suitable for whatever you have planned for the evening?”

“More than suitable.” He answers, finally finding words as she steps forward and places her hands against his chest. “Where have you been hiding that? I didn’t see it in the closet.”

“I have my hiding places.” Is all she says in answer, resting against him. “I’m a little amused that a short little sundress elicits this reaction from you.”

“It’s more you than the dress, though I’ll admit the length certainly caught my attention.” He lowers his voice as he leans down for a kiss. “Are you even wearing anything under that?”

“Maybe…” She murmurs, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. “You can always find out later if you’re curious…”

Sam lingers for a moment, giving a gentle squeeze to Evie’s hip before he straightens and steps away, taking her hand and walking her around to the other side of the vehicle. He opens the door for her and drops her hand only when she’s settled into the passenger seat. 

“Such a gentleman.”

“I try, doll.” He shuts the door and circles around, getting in the driver’s side and starting the car— reaching over for her hand as he drives up the road and away from the neighborhood. “Any guesses to our evening?”

“I know we’re going somewhere and it’s not to town because you just turned the opposite direction… so no, I don’t really have a guess. I’m sure it’ll be nice, though. All the things you’ve had planned so far have been.”

“I aim to please.” He says with grin, as they coast along the road going out towards the bay and to a higher portion of the island.

Evie fiddles with the stereo, flipping through stations and static until she settles on one that comes in loud and clear. She smiles softly at the song playing from the speakers— a sultry love song and reaches out to take Sam’s free hand in her own. He gives a quick glance and a smile in her direction before returning his full attention to the road, gently squeezing her hand. The two of them sit like that for the rest of the drive, the island scenery flying past until Sam slows the car and pulls into a overlook at the top of the island. He pulls over at a perfect time, the sun just beginning to sink below the horizon as he puts the car in park.

“What do you think?”

From their vantage point high up above the rest of the island, they can see the vast ocean stretch out before them and the light of the sinking sun glimmering against the gently rolling waves.

“It’s beautiful, Sam.” She pulls her hand free from his own with a gentle smile, drawing her knees up onto the passenger seat and turning to face him. “Think you could move your seat back just a bit?”

Sam raises an eyebrow but complies, moving the seat back and laughing when Evie climbs over the gearshift and straddles his lap. “This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when we came up here—“ Evie stills, having already gotten his pants half undone and leans back, ready to climb back into her own seat.. “but I’m not complaining.” 

She shakes her head, gripping a fistful of his shirt and pulling him towards her for a kiss that delves into much more and by the time the sun has fully set, neither of them can see through the windows.

* * *

The next day finds Sam in what’s become his usual spot in terms of mulling over his plans… and how the perfect moment he’s been searching for has been thwarted at every turn. He reaches into his pocket and holds up the little velvet box, wondering how something so little could be the cause of so much stress in his life after so many years of not being any sort of problem. He turns at the sound of approaching footsteps, tensing up but then relaxing when he sees it’s only Nate.

“Hey, Sam, have you seen⏤” Nate stops short in his approach and does a double-take at the item held in his brother’s hand, then rushes over to him, quickly checking for Cassie— and more importantly, Evie— before he continues. “Holy shit, you bought the ring! When did you finally have the heart to separate yourself from her for more than five minutes? ”

“Actually,” Sam grins good-naturedly at the teasing remark, turning the box in his hands as his brother thumps him on the shoulder. “I’ve had the ring for about five years.”

“What? Come on, there’s no way you’ve had it that long.” At Sam’s nod, Nate gives him a gentle shove⏤ laughing just a little when Sam fumbles to keep ahold of the box and utters a thinly veiled threat about someone going in the ocean if the item he held were to fall in. “Why haven’t you asked her then? If you’ve had the ring for that long you know you’re serious about it.”

“I just... want it to be the right time. To be perfect, y’know?”

“Is that why you asked me for advice when you first got here?” Nate laughs, shaking his head as he looks at his brother. “If you’ve already got the ring, you’ve clearly thought about it and you’ve been with Evie for a long time. Any moment you’d choose to propose would probably be unexpected and damn near perfect at this point.”

“I don’t want it to be near perfect. It needs to be absolutely perfect, Nathan. I want her to remember this as a good thing.”

“Why wouldn’t she? Do you think you’ll get married and then one day she’ll wake up and think she made a mistake? Jesus, Sam. If she hasn’t decided you were a mistake yet, she’s not going to now.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, just⏤ Hey, Hey! If I go in the ocean so is the box because I’ll take you with me!” 

While the brothers Drake are somewhat playfully tussling on the dock, Evie is having a bit of a tussle of her own, albeit a verbal one.

“Ok, I’m leaving!”

“Stop!” Elena calls, halting Cassie in her trek past the kitchen. “Checklist: phone, charger, keys?”

“Check, check, and... check.”

“And what time do you have to be back tomorrow?”

Evie smiles at Cassie and holds out the carton of cherry tomatoes who smiles and takes one, popping it in her mouth before she answers.

“Dinner time.”

“Which is?” Elena prompts as she leans against the kitchen counter.

“Six-thirty?”

“Six-thirty. Tell May’s parents we say hello.” She gives Cassie a hug and returns to chopping up vegetables.

“Bye Mom, bye Aunt Evie!” Cassie yells over her shoulder as she heads out the door.

“Be sure to say goodbye to your dad and Uncle Sam!” Elena shakes her head with a smile when she gets a muffled ‘ok’ as a reply. “Can you hand me the tomatoes?”

“Sure. Hey, when did she start calling me ‘Aunt’ Evie?” She questions as she hands over the container.

“About... four months ago? Don’t be so surprised, Evie. You’re a close friend, you’re with Sam, we see you often. You’re basically family in all but name now. Speaking of—“ Elena halts, looking down at the half-empty container with a laugh. “Evie, you ate half of the tomatoes!”

Evie grins in response and reaches into the grocery sack on the counter beside her and pulls out another full container of cherry tomatoes. She pops the lid and swaps the half-empty container for the full one, swiping another tomato out of the container she took from Elena. “What? They’re good!” She says, as Elena laughs again and shakes her head.

“Back to what I was saying. Speaking of Sam—“

“Oh no.”

“No, no, it’s just a question. How are things?”

“Things are good.” Evie answers, leaning back against the adjacent counter as she speaks. “He seemed genuinely surprised when I showed up here.”

“Which means Nate didn’t spill the secret.” At Evie’s questioning gaze, Elena adds, “He saw the sticky notes in my office about your arrival time and making sure the guest house was stocked with enough stuff for two people.”

“Ah, gotcha.” She sighs happily and smiles. “Like I said, things have been good. The surprise went without any issue and he’s been so romantic this past week!”

“Oh? Come on, give me some details!”

“Well, the first night I was here we went for a walk on the beach after dinner, and then a few nights later we went to this really nice little restaurant in town— They had the best food but...”

“Oooh Arturo’s?”

“Yeah!”

“Oh they have the best food but the drinks are _really_ strong, right?”

“So strong!” Evie laughs, “I felt so bad for Sam, I can’t even remember what I ordered but it tasted great— only problem is the room was spinning by the time we got back to the guest house. Would you believe me if I said we ended up sleeping on the floor?”

“Oh yeah,” Elena says as she laughs at the thought. “You’re not alone in that regard. Nate and I have had a couple nights like those too.”

“Oh, and then the other night he rented a car and we went for a drive. Watched the sunset and then stayed out to look at the stars.” She sighs, lost in the thought, but quickly realizes that Elena hasn’t said anything. She glances her way, then shakes her head in warning. “Elena.”

“Evie.” She replies, with a grin and a raised eyebrow. “He took you to one of the overlooks, didn’t he?”

“Well…He did, but—“

“Let me stop you. You’re going to say ‘nothing’ happened and, as your friend, I’m going to give you a word of warning that ‘nothing’ is exactly how Cassie came into the world.”

“ _Elena_!”

Evie jumps with a start, nearly sending the tomatoes flying when she hits the container with her elbow at Nathan’s protest. She busies herself with moving it out of range as Nathan and Sam enter the open kitchen.

“It’s the truth, Nate. You were there too.”

“Still.” He says, giving Elena his best puppy-dog stare in a silent plea to not share anymore about the subject. “You don’t have to share all the details.”

“Oh believe me, that’s not anywhere near detailed. I could tell Evie all about it, but I think she’d appreciate being spared the mental image and your brother could probably do without hearing about it as well.”

Sam chuckles as Nathan and Elena playfully bicker, walking over to lean on the opposite side of the counter, and fixes Evie with his most charming smile. “Hi, there.”

“Hi.” Evie answers, breaking into a smile when he waggles an eyebrow. Only to giggle a moment later when Nathan, finished pleading with his wife, thumps his brother on the shoulder.

“Not where we eat, Sam.”

“Nathan!”

“Don’t ‘Nathan’ me. I’ve heard about way too many of your escapades over the years to trust you. I know better.”

“The Fisher-Drake kitchen is a neutral zone. Got it.” Evie says, with a barely smothered laugh as she helps Elena gather up plates and utensils so the table can be set. “We’ll just have to count that one as a loss, Sam.”

“Not you too.”

* * *

After lunch is finished and the quartet has dispersed through the house, Sam sets out to find Evie and give some alone time— and perhaps another attempt at popping the question — another shot… if the moment happened to be right, that is. He peeks into the kitchen and upon finding Nathan taking care of the dishes, turns his search elsewhere. The hall turns up empty and he’s not about to go searching through the bedrooms, so he turns his efforts to checking the living room and— thankfully— ends up finding just the person he’s looking for. He lingers for a moment in the doorway, then stealthily makes his way over to the couch while Evie has her attention focused elsewhere and gently tackles her onto the cushions.

“What’s gotten into you?” She asks, giggling as he peppers kisses all over her face and wriggling a bit beneath him when his free hand ghosts along her side.

“Oh, just thrilled that we’re _finally alone_.” 

“Uh, Sam⏤”

“ _Not_ alone, actually.”

Sam stills, then turns to face the couch opposite the one he and Evie are seated on, finding his sister-in-law watching them with an amused smile. He laughs it off and gently tugs Evie’s shirt back down from where it had ridden up. To her credit, Evie only looks mildly embarrassed and even laughs when Sam gives a joking “Right, what were we talking about?” as he moves to the other side of the couch.

“Elena and I were discussing gear. I was just telling her about the camera you bought me after I broke my old one in Rio.”

“Ah, right the uh… fancy one with all the lenses.” When Elena raises an eyebrow, Sam admits, “Honestly, I didn’t know a lot about cameras at the time. I just went into the first store I could find that sold cameras, told the person in that department that my girlfriend had just broken her very expensive camera that was extremely important for work, money was not an issue, and just to bring me the nicest camera they had for professional photography.”

“Well, you must’ve done a good job in getting your point across. From what Evie’s told me, that’s her favorite one to use both for work and personal shoots.”

“It is. You did a great job, Sam. Not to mention it was incredibly sweet of you when it was my own fault that it ended up broken in the first place.” Evie snuggles up to Sam on the couch, resting her head against his chest as he wraps an arm around her and smiles down at her.

“Sure must’ve done something right if you’re still with me after all this time.” Sam replies as their eyes meet. The both of them must be starring a bit too intensely and just a tad too long as Elena interrupts them with a pointed cough and they both guiltily turn their attention her way.

“Would you two like some alone time?”

“No,” Sam sighs in defeat but makes sure to keep his tone at least somewhat playful. “I suppose I can let you can have her for the afternoon. Nathan had some things he wanted to show me anyways.”

“Are you sure? Because I can vacate so long as the two of you promise to keep your clothes on while you’re on my couch.”

“… I’m not sure we can keep that promise. Right, Evie?”

“Sam!”

His laughter echoes through the room as he gives Evie a quick kiss and a wave before he exits the living room, leaving the duo with the promise that he would get his incredibly beautiful— a remark that makes Evie cover her face and sigh at his dramatics— girlfriend all to himself the following morning.

* * *

“So, what would you like to do today, love?” Sam asks over breakfast, watching as Evie blinks at him over her cup of coffee. “I’ve got you to myself all morning, so I’m completely at your mercy.”

“Completely at my mercy, hm?” She smiles before she takes another sip, humming as she runs through the options on her mind. “Why don’t we explore the town? We didn’t get to see too much of it the last time we were there, given that we were both too drunk to be concerned with anything aside getting back home.”

“If you want to explore the town, we’ll explore the town.”

“Perfect. Do you think it’d be a long walk?”

“Shouldn’t be too far, maybe fifteen minutes or so? Give or take.” He returns Evie’s smile with one of his own. “Just let me know when you’re ready to go and we’ll head out.”

Scarcely twenty minutes later, Evie and Sam head up the hill and through the neighborhood to town. They pass a handful of shops, restaurants, and even a few bars—not yet open, of course— as they wander through the streets. They walk a couple of blocks, only stopping every now and again when something catches their eye, before their path takes them to a bridge spanning across a bustling street below. Evie walks to the side of the bridge and peers down in curiosity, her delighted gasp catching Sam’s full attention. 

“Oh, look a market!” She grabs Sam’s hand and tugs him along, eager footsteps carrying the both of them down the closest flight of stairs towards the market below. “Come on, I want to look at everything!”

“Only if you promise to slow down so we don’t both fall down the stairs.” He says with a laugh, adding “I know I can catch you, but I don’t think you can catch me, doll.”

Evie shushes him but heeds his warning, slowing her footsteps to a normal pace as they continue down another set of stairs. When they hit street level she drops his hand and dashes away, her delighted cry of ‘oh, look at all the flowers!’ Sam’s only indication of where she’s disappeared to as she gets lost in the crowd. He gets a glimpse every few moments as she weaves her way between all the people gathered in the market and does his best to keep up⏤ in the end settling for just making his way towards the flower stalls. He’ll find her sooner or later. He makes his way through the crowd and finally catches up to her at a stall packed full of fragrant flowers, all in various shades of blue and purple.

He pulls out his phone and snaps a photo as she leans towards a cluster of flowers labeled ‘hyacinth’⏤ capturing her serene expression and the beauty of the sunlight glinting against her hair. She turns towards him at the sound and shakes her head, waiting patiently as he walks over to her. He drapes an arm across her shoulders and smiles down at her before waving a hand at the array of flowers.

“If I would’ve known you loved flowers this much, I would’ve made sure you had them in the apartment back home at all times.” When she raises an eyebrow, Sam amends, “... not that we’d usually be home to take care of them. Right, maybe fake flowers then. They can’t die, so you can have them forever.”

“You’re too much sometimes.”

“That’s fair.” he muses, kissing the top of her head. “Well, if you can’t have them back home... why not pick out some here? We can keep them in the guest house and either give them to Elena to keep after we leave or we can just toss them after our stay is over.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, there’s a bunch of empty vases under the sink⏤ plenty of options for something to keep them in. Pick out whatever kind you want, or kinds, they’re for you after all. Make yourself a bouquet, doll! I’ll buy you whatever your heart desires.”

“Oh? What if I desire something that can’t be bought?”

“Then I’ll have to find a way to work some magic. Unless you’ve got a different thing in mind. In which case, some arrangements can be made.” He leans down to whisper in her ear. “All you have to say is when.”

Evie coughs discreetly as the flower vendor eyes them with scrutiny and Sam straightens with a smile. She run her fingers over one of the hyacinth stems and hums as she weighs her options. “I like both colors. Can we make a bouquet with both the blue and purple?”

“Whatever you want.” He answers, leaving her briefly to talk to the vendor who comes back and gathers the flowers from the buckets they were arranged in. Once the flowers have been bundled and wrapped in paper he hands over a handful of bills— more than necessary but tells the vendor to keep the change. “You helped me make my girl very happy. Have a good day!” He yells, with a chuckle and a wave as Evie tugs him along to their next market destination.

He nearly thuds into the neighboring market stand of the one she stops at, when they finally come to a halt, her vibrant green eyes alight in awe as she studies the various intricate jewelry pieces on display. Sam can’t help but shake his head at her enthusiasm and the way she’s looking over the array of bracelets and necklaces. “You know,” he says as he leans close, “that one with the pendant matches your eyes quite well and it’d sit just above⏤”

“I promised Alessandra I’d find her something nice as a thank you for helping me get a flight to see you.” She interrupts, giving him a warning look before he can finish his sentence. “So if you want to help me find one that might suit her tastes?”

“I can certainly try but you know her better than I do. Maybe that red one with all the stones? She seems to like that color. Or what about⏤” He crashes into Evie when a passerby collides with him and two of them nearly upend the stall. He reaches out to steady both himself and Evie as he studies the crowd. “Watch where you’re going, yeah?” He calls with more than a little annoyance in his tone as the individual walks away and pays the two of them no mind.

“I’m so sorry,” Evie apologizes to the stall owner, who waves a hand nonchalantly and merely says it happens all the time. “By chance, would I be able to purchase this?” 

“Could I purchase this as well?” 

“Sam,” Evie glances his way after paying the stall owner and shakes her head. “You don’t have to keep buying me things.”

“Let me spoil you, doll. You came all this way to see me, it’s the least I can⏤” He reaches into his pocket and freezes, realization dawning on his face. “Son of bitch! You!” He yells as he quickly scans the crowd, then finds the person he’s looking for about five stalls down and runs towards them.

“ _Sam_ ⏤” 

“Be right back, doll! Just need to have a nice chat so I can get my wallet back!”

He chases the individual through the market, leaping over chairs and vaulting over low tables in his pursuit. The chase takes him through another section of the market, down two alleyways, and through several bushes before he catches up to them in picturesque area with a large fountain and a fantastic view of the horizon. Sam stops to catch his breath, holding a hand out towards the thief who eyes him warily. “Look, I get it. Greatness from small beginnings and all that, but I really need you to give me back my wallet. Just hand it over and you can walk away.”

The thief looks him over, then bolts. Sam swears and gives chase, tackling the culprit into the grass and yanking his wallet from their grip. Target acquired, he moves to climb off of them but isn’t quick enough and promptly gets an elbow to the face. Sam topples backwards as the thief gets to their feet and runs away, disappearing back into the crowd without a backward glance. Hurried footsteps ring out on the stone path leading to the fountain and Sam winces, raising a hand to his face and the sore spot just beneath his right eye. He can already tell that he’s going to have one hell of bruise come morning.

“There you are!” Evie runs over, dropping to her knees beside him in the grass as he props himself up on his elbows and she looks him over in worry. “Oh, you’re hurt! Tell me you didn’t try to fight them?”

“I didn’t. All I did was politely ask for my wallet.” He jerks when she gently touches the blooming bruise below his eye. “Had to tackle them to get it back and apparently I didn’t let them go fast enough.”

“They punched you?”

“More like elbowed me in the face.”

“Oh, Sam.”

“Wish I could say you should see the other guy, but I’ve been on my best behavior so it would be a lie.” He chuckles as Evie’s expression grows even more concerned and shakes his head, “Swearing loudly in the middle of the market aside, of course. Hey, since I’ve got you down on the ground with me in the middle of this very picturesque park and just chased down a thief, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

Sam reaches into his pocket of his jeans, intent on revealing the velvet box that’s been carried with him almost every day since she arrived… but only finds his wallet. He laughs nervously, the first time Evie’s heard him do so in almost nine years, and checks the other followed by his back pockets. Empty-handed, and thus ringless, Sam panics. “Evie, doll, have you uh… seen my lighter? Or do you perhaps have it on you?”

“Sam,” Evie answers with a frown and confusion mixed with suspicion warring in her gaze. “You quit smoking four years ago.”

“Ah, so I did.” Sam takes a breath and sits up. “Hey, Evie? Forgive me, I love you, and I promise I’ll be right back.” He bolts before she can stop him, sprinting in the direction he saw the thief go in though he knows it’s a long shot at best. He dashes through the crowd on the far side of the park and scans the area for any side paths or inconspicuous exits, relying on his years of treasure hunting to try and think like a thief. It takes one to know one after all.

He spots a side street to the left and dashes down it, emerging in another bustling park full of people. Unfortunately, the culprit is nowhere to be found. Sam spits out a string of lengthy curses that would make even the most vulgar of people color a few shades and offers an apologetic smile at a woman who passes by— glaring all the while — with two children in tow.

“Really fucked up this time, didn’t I?” He muses, intent on finding his way back to Evie when his phone rings. He answers without checking the screen, leading in with a sheepish laugh. “Hey, doll, I swear I can explain⏤”

“Explain what?” 

“…Nathan?”

“Didn’t you check before you answered the phone? Yes, it’s Nathan. So what were you needing to explain to Evie?”

“Nothing.” Sam says quickly, jogging back to the side street. “Did you need us to pick up something while we were out or…?”

“No, I’m pretty sure Evie picked up anything we could’ve needed when she grabbed groceries the other day. I just called to let you know you might be missing something important.” Nate pauses, then laughs at Sam’s bewildered silence. “Maybe a little box with a ring in it?”

“You’re joking. You better be joking, Nathan.”

“Nope, I’ve got it right here in my hand. You know, you’re lucky I found it before Elena or Cassie did.”

“Where was it? Are you⏤ Seriously? Out of all the fucking places I could’ve left it⏤ No, no, it’s fine. Just hang onto it until we come back. I bought Evie flowers so I’ll hide it again when I put those away.” He emerges back in the original area he’d left Evie in and finds her perched on the edge of the fountain, staring up at the statue of two lovers in the center. “Thanks again, Nathan. I gotta go, I’m back with Evie. We’ll see you later.”

She turns her head at his approach and offers a soft smile. “Find what you were looking for?”

“No,” he answers sheepishly, sitting down beside her on the edge of the fountain and gently bumping her arm as he reaches out and rests one of his hands over her own. “Turns out I left it at Nate and Elena’s. I’m sorry for running off on you.”

“It’s alright. You wouldn’t have dashed off like that if it weren’t important, though I do wish you would’ve been honest about it.” Sam hangs his head in shame, gaze downcast in response to her words. “I won’t ask because I’m guessing it’s meant to be a surprise but just say you lost something next time, okay?”

“It really is meant to be a surprise for you and it was… rather expensive. So I just said whatever came to mind. Didn’t want to ruin it. You… ready to head back for the day?”

“Yeah, I’ve got my flowers and the jewelry I bought. Plus the one you wanted to buy me. The vendor said it was a two for one deal, but I think they felt bad about what happened.”

“Sorry.”

“For getting your wallet stolen?” 

“Evie.”

“It’s fine, Sam. Really. I promise. Let’s just go home, ok?”

Sam gives her a look that says he doesn’t quite agree or believe her but nods and drapes an arm around her shoulders as they walk back to the car. The drive home is mostly quiet, interrupted only by Evie cheerfully singing along to songs on the radio in an attempt to get Sam to cheer up. Her efforts work for the most part and she’s able to a least get a chuckle out of him when she bumps up the volume and dramatically sings along to a cheesy love song. He seems to be in better spirits by the time they return to the Fisher-Drake residence and is all smiles as Cassie greets them, even encouraging Evie to go with his niece as she eagerly asks about teaching her to surf. 

“Well… it does sound fun and if your uncle is okay with being without me for a bit?”

“Go have fun, doll.”

Evie glances back at Sam one more time before following after Cassie, who’s eagerly sprinting towards the main house to fetch her suit and board. As Cassie disappears into the house, Evie veers off to the guest house and goes inside to change. Sam reluctantly takes advantage of the time alone to take a solo stroll along the far side beach in attempt to rid himself of his somber mood. Another thwarted attempt isn’t the end of it all, and it certainly doesn’t mean he can’t try to propose— _again_ — another day at a hopefully more opportune time. It’s not the end all be all, really. Yet… Sam can’t help but feel discouraged when faced with the fact that each time he’s tried to ask Evie to marry him at what he thought was the perfect time, it’s been ruined.

He comes to halt a good distance down from both the guest and main house, staring out at the ocean as his thoughts mirror the turmoil of the waves. Is he really just that bad at timing? Or is it a sign that perhaps Evie deserves better than anything he can offer her? The thought only sours his mood further and he scowls at the rolling waves, not hearing the footsteps slowly approaching where he stands until it’s too late.

“Been together a long time, haven’t ya.” Sully’s voice shatters Sam’s train of thought and he chuckles just a little when he turns to face him in surprise.

“Ten years.” Sam answers, shaking his head as he looks back at the horizon. “I wasn’t sure you were actually going to join us, old man.”

Sully sighs and takes another sip of his beer as he overlooks the ocean⏤ choosing to ignore Sam’s jokingly intended remark. Nate had warned him that Sam had seemed off upon his return with Evie and asked Sully to offer what advice he could, though Sully himself wasn’t quite certain he was the right person for this particular job. “She’s a rare woman.” He begins, pausing for a moment as he tries to find a way to best broach the subject with Sam. “Surprised she’s stayed with you all these years. You’ve never seemed the type to be a one-woman kind of man.”

“That’s a bit of a low blow, Victor.”

“I’m just speaking the truth here.” Sully protests, already off to a bad start. A stretch of uncomfortable silence falls, broken only by the sound of the crashing waves and Evie’s laughter from further down the beach as Cassie tries to teach her to surf to little avail. “You ever gonna tie the knot?”

“I’m working on it.”

“She might not wait around forever.” Sully’s way of saying ‘keep trying, kid’ that thankfully seems to get him somewhere.

“I said I’m working on it. I’ve got the ring. Had it for five years now.”

“Sam, if you’ve had the ring for that long why haven’t you—“

“Oh, not you too. I’ve already had this lecture once this week.” Sam holds a hand up as if to ward off Sully’s next words and finds the weight of the stare focused on him to be even worse than whatever he’d been about to say. “Fine. What is it this time, Victor?”

“Just... maybe you’re getting cold feet about it.”

“Are you kidding me?” Sam laughs and waves a hand in Evie’s and Cassie’s direction. “I’ve been with Evie for ten years. Ten. What’s there to be apprehensive about?”

“Well, from what Nate said and what I’ve seen you’ve never been one to be tied down. You’re the poster child for commitment issues, for christsakes.”

“Oh you’re one to talk. What about Alessandra, huh?”

“I’m an old man, Sam. She’s a lot younger than I am and that’s a whole different ball game.”

“Oh really? How is dancing around committing to a relationship for three years any different than you trying to tell me that I’m having second thoughts about my girlfriend who I’ve been with for _ten_ years?”

“Sam⏤”

“You know what, Victor? Maybe I haven’t asked her yet, not because I’m doubting that it’s what **I** want but because I want it to be perfect **for her**. Because I think she deserves better than some idiot who can’t get the question right on the fifth try and maybe, because every single attempt I’ve made at trying to make this the best I can has been ruined by something!”

A blanket of silence falls, interrupted only by the sound of the rolling waves, as the two of them stand awkwardly before each other. Sam runs a hand through his hair and looks skywards, slightly ashamed at his outburst… and the fact that Evie⏤ not to mention the rest of his family⏤ had likely heard him. It was certainly looking as if the evening could and would be far worse than the day had been. Sully taps a finger against his beer bottle, then sighs.

“Listen, Sam, I shouldn’t have pushed you on the whole thing with Evie. But that bit about Alessandra and I⏤ that was uncalled for.”

“Truce?”

“We’ll call a damn truce.” Sully answers gruffly, laughing a bit despite himself when Sam thumps him on the back. “One last thing though…”

“Victor⏤”

“Now, hear me out kid. You’re so concerned about it being absolutely goddamn perfect… maybe that’s your problem. You focus too much on the details and when things start going wrong, you get the idea in your head that it’s not good enough for her. You love her, don’t you? Want to spend the rest of your life with her, settle down, have a family of your own? Then that’s all that matters.” Sully pats him on the shoulder and adds, “That girl loves you more than anything, Sam. It’ll be perfect for her no matter how you go about it.” as he walks back to the main house to say goodnight to Nate and Elena before he heads back to town and his hotel.

“Thanks, Victor.” Sam mutters, heaving a sigh before starting down the beach⏤ intent on finding Evie and getting her away from his niece so everyone, Cassie included, could finally call it a night. The expanse of beach is empty, even the dock void of it’s usual four legged occupant and it’s at that moment that Sam realizes just how late into the evening it’s become. “Well, guess everyone’s headed in for the night.”

He walks down the beach a ways, then crosses to the guest house and waves to Nathan who yells “goodnight!” as he lets Victoria, who’d been waiting patiently on the front deck, back in for the evening. Sam enters the guesthouse with a tired sigh and is disappointed when he finds both the kitchen and living area empty. His shoulders slump a little at the idea that she may have already gone to bed without him, but he perks up at the sound of movement from the bedroom.

Sam quickly makes his way through the guest house and dramatically leans around the bedroom doorframe, a frown etching itself across his face as he finds the bed and surrounding area as empty as the rest of the rooms. He straightens and crosses to the bed, dropping onto it with a sigh of defeat as Evie emerges from the bathroom damp haired and wearing a robe.

“I wondered when you’d come in.”

“I thought you’d gone ahead to bed without me.” He answers patting the space beside him and grinning when Evie offers a soft smile and a shake of her head. 

“You know I can’t sleep without you.” 

“All those nightly phone calls would seem to suggest that but I can never be too sure.” He pats the space beside him once more and flashes a triumphant grin when she complies.

Evie sits down next to him and lets him take the towel from her without any fuss, closing her eyes as he gently towels her hair dry. It’s something she’s told him time and time again that he doesn’t have to do for her but he always insists⏤ cutting off any protest she makes by remarking that it never tangles when he does it. It’s a small thing, true, but it’s something he’s done for her since they first moved in with one another all those years ago. 

“You seemed upset earlier. What were you were talking with Sully about?” She muses, only becoming concerned when Sam’s movements still and the towel slips from her hair as he stands and walks back to the bathroom to hang it up without a word. “Sam?”

“It’s wasn’t anything important.” He walks back into the bedroom and lays on his side of the bed, one hand tucked beneath his head. “Lay down with me? I haven’t had you to myself all day.”

Evie sighs playfully⏤ as if it’s some big ordeal⏤ and cuddles up to him, resting her head on his chest as he wraps his free arm around her. “It’s not like you to get upset over things you don’t think are important.” She feels Sam wilt beneath her touch and sits up, her gaze soft as a look of defeat crosses his face. “I’m not going to push you on it… but I do think you could use something to take your mind off whatever it is that’s bothering you.”

“What’d you have in mind, doll?”

She doesn’t answer, merely climbs onto his lap and loosens the belt of her robe with a raised brow instead⏤ an action Sam returns with his signature grin. He rests his hands on her thighs, slowly sliding his palms up the soft skin and beneath her robe… and quirks a brow when he finds far less fabric than he expected. 

“Planning on seducing me, were you?” 

“I still can if you get your pants off.”

“Just my pants?”

“Well, it’d be a lot more fun with all your clothes off but I can make do if you’d rather be lazy about it.” She teases, laughing when he presses a hand to his chest as if wounded. “So how about it?”

“Hm,” he muses, sliding his hands back down her legs until they rest just above her knees. “I’d say have at it, and that this reminds me of our first date. You know, I still think a hat really would’ve made the whole thing. I’d b⏤”

“I swear if the word stallion leaves your mouth, you’ll be sleeping in the living room.” At Sam’s laugh she tacks on a stern, “I’m not joking.”

“I’m just playing, doll. Not about the memory, of course.”

“I can see your⏤ point!” Evie’s voice cuts off in a small shriek as Sam quickly flips her over and pins her to the mattress. “Sam⏤” She barely gets his name out before he’s leaning in for a kiss and any and all coherent thought flies out the window.

His hands are as busy as his mouth, deftly tugging the top her robe open and sliding ever downwards to undo the belt holding the rest of it closed. He stops for a moment when her fingertips slide beneath the edge of his shirt, grazing just above the top of his pants and tracing lazy circles against his skin.

“Evie, that is… very distracting.”

“I don’t think it’ll be any fun for you if I’m the only one naked.” She counters, ceasing her movements to tug at his shirt instead. “Take your shirt and your pants off and then you can get back to what you had planned.” She adds, looking up at him with a seductive grin.

Sam rocks back onto his knees and yanks his shirt over his head, tossing it off into the depths of the darkened room. He undoes the button on his pants and climbs off the bed to let the article of clothing fall to the floor. He fixes his gaze on Evie, love and lust glimmering in his eyes, as he drops his boxers as well before he gets back into bed with her— Evie’s barely half-closed robe the only thing keeping them from being skin to skin. He places a hand on either side of her and settles between her legs, a smirk gracing his face at the way her mouth drops open and her pupils blow wide. It’s far from the first time they’ve done this, but Sam’s a bit proud to say he gets the same reaction every time.

“Think you could lose that robe now?”

Evie nods and quickly wriggles out of it, her giggle as Sam yanks it out from beneath her and tosses it into the depths of the bedroom replaced by a soft moan as he rolls his hips and grinds down against her. She returns his movement with her own, nails digging into his back as she bucks her hips upwards— her eagerness earning a laugh from Sam as he kisses her. They continue this way for some time, wandering hands sure to leave marks as things become more and more heated. 

Eventually the two of them decide enough is enough— Evie’s annoyed whine when Sam retreats only further cementing the fact. “Sam, I swear— Just—“

“Ah, small problem, doll.” Sam stills, his hands firmly locked on Evie’s hips to halt any further movements she might attempt to make. He presses his forehead against her own snd loosens his grip, a disgruntled sigh escaping him as he speaks. “I don’t know where I put the condoms.”

“Is that all?” Evie asks with a hint of a smile and amusement barely hidden in her voice as she runs her hands along his shoulders, down his arms, and back up again. “Sam, it’s fine. I’m okay with it if you are.”

“Are you sure?”

“There’s no guarantee one time will be the charm, you know.” She lifts a hand to the nape of his neck and runs her fingers through his hair, gently urging him down to her. “Even if it were guaranteed... well, I have to admit a little baby version of you would be very cute.”

Sam pulls back to gaze at her, adoration heavy in his eyes. “What did I do to deserve you.” He murmurs, leaning back down to kiss her as he takes himself in hand and presses inside her. Evie exhales a breathy moan into the kiss as he slowly rocks his hips into her own, setting a slow and sensual pace. He trails a line of kisses to her neck and nips at the skin, smirking when she digs her nails into his back as he gives a particularly hard surge of his hips. “God, I love you.” He murmurs, sliding a hand beneath her back in an attempt to press her even closer.

“I love you too, Sam. More than— Oh—” She stops talking and clings tightly to him, on hand tangled in his hair and the other entwined with his own as they both cross the edge one after the other. 

* * *

Sam wakes hours later, rolling onto his back and glancing to his left, where Evie lies sprawled languidly next to him with the blanket drawn up over her chest. She’s sleeping soundly, apparently exhausted from the day’s⏤ and night’s⏤ events. He smiles to himself and rolls carefully onto his side as he reaches over to open the top drawer of the bedside table. He spots the familiar box and breathes a sigh of relief, thankful that Nathan had stashed the object where he’d been hiding it for the entire stay thus far. He chides himself for ever leaving it out in the open to begin with and takes the box in hand as he rolls back over, thumping his head back onto the pillow. “Attempt number five, another failure. I can’t believe I’ve messed up every single time.”

“Messed up every time at what?” Evie asks with a yawn as she moves over to snuggle up to him and rests her head on his chest. Her gaze settles on the object held in his hand and she squints at it in confusion, still slightly sleep addled.“Sam, what’s that?”

He stiffens, fingers closing around the velvet box in an attempt to hide it. He chides himself for getting it out; even more so for taking it out post-sex. How on earth was that romantic? He tells himself he can play it off, wait and see if she falls back asleep, bluff, anything. Until Evie sits up, the sheet clutched against her chest as she stares him down with a still sleepy emerald gaze.

“Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine.” He hesitates, then sighs in defeat as he sits up as well. “This is not how I wanted to do this. I mean, we’re alone which was part of the goal but I wanted it to be— Evie? Doll, what’s on your mind?”

“Sam, are you...” She says, voice soft and hesitant as he studies her.

“Am I—“

“Are you... breaking up with me?”

Out of all the things she could’ve said, all variations of ‘proposing’ in his head, to say that was the most unexpected would be an understatement.

“What? Am I— Am I breaking up with you?” He drops the box on the bedside table and reaches for her, warm hands pulling her close. “Jesus Christ, Evie, no. Why would you think that?”

“You led with how it wasn’t how you wanted to do this and I just thought of all the things you tried to do this past week... I thought maybe you were trying to soften the blow.”

“... Do you want to break-up?” He asks carefully, brow furrowed in worry as he looks down at her still holding her tightly.

“No, of course not!”

“Oh, good, good. That is a relief, let me tell you.” Sam kisses her on the cheek and then on the mouth— long and deep. “Oh, I could not have screwed this up any more if I tried.” He murmurs as he breaks the kiss and releases her from the embrace while he leans over to grab the black velvet box again. This time, he holds it normally and makes no attempt to hide it as he watches her reaction.

“Sam?”

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. I bought it before I even had a plan for how I was going to do this. Jesus, I even asked _Nathan_ for advice.” He shakes his head and glances down at the box held in his palm. “He said when the moment was right, that I would know.” He falls silent for a time, rubbing his fingers across the soft surface before he speaks again— looking into her eyes this time. “The moment’s been right for a while, even more so since you surprised me here. I just... wanted it to be perfect. Romantic, something you’d remember for all the right reasons.”

“Oh my—“

“So, knowing full well that I have screwed this up worse than anything else I’ve ever done, I’m going to try anyway.” He opens the lid and holds it aloft towards her. “Miss Evelyn Crane, my absolutely beautiful Evie... will you marry me?”

Evie drops the sheet, flinging herself towards him and wrapping her arms around him— nearly knocking him flat. She holds him tightly and he makes a weak joke “that bad, huh.” when he hears her choke back a sob, then laugh.

“Oh, Sam.” She moves back, putting just a bit of space between them and clutches the sheet to her chest with one hand while scrubbing at her tears with the other. “Hang on, I need a minute.”

“If you’re going to say no, I’d rather you just put me out of my misery.”

“ _Samuel_.”

“Kidding.” A pause, “I deserve the full name, I did use yours. My mistake. Start over when you’re ready?” She laughs and he takes that as a yes. “Miss _Evie_ Crane, will you marry me?”

“Yes.” She leans in and cups his face with both hands as she kisses him. “Yes, _Sam_ Drake, I’ll marry you.”

* * *

Later that morning when the sun has finally made it’s ascent and most of the Drakes and their visitors and have settled onto the front porch, Nate finally checks his phone and sees he’d received a message from his brother in the early morning hours along with a photo.

> **Sam [2:06 AM]**

> It’s official!

> [Attached is a photo of Sam and Evie kissing, her hand held high in his own to showcase the sparkling ring on her finger.]

“Alright, he finally did it! Elena, look!

“What happened?”

“Your Uncle Sam finally proposed to your Aunt Evie.”

“They’re getting married? That’s awesome!” Cassie turns to face Sully, who’s already nursing a beer in the early a.m. “Uncle Sully, doesn’t that mean it’s your turn?”

The table erupts in laughter as a sputtering Sully nearly sprays his beer across the expanse of white sand beneath them.

“She’s not wrong, Sully. Elena and I got married, Sam and Evie are getting married... you’re the last one left.”

“ _Nate_.”


End file.
